Benesse struggling to deal with massive theft of customer data

Mirai Hayashi... What subscription may I ask? I

True, they already trick you into signing up for their direct mail advertisements.

Until very recently Benesse was harvesting children's data quite in the same illegal way. They were commissioning agents to gather bulk data of minors from citizens registration offices and education boards.

And the way Benesse sends out misleading and colorful advertising directly addressed to minors would be illegal in most developed countries.

Benesse being the most powerful producer of teaching and learning aids in Japan has absolutely no company ethics and this incident appears like small-time crooks pinching stuff from master thieves!

Education service provider Benesse Corporation is under fire after a large amount of customer data was stolen from the company's private data banks.

Basically like every single child's data if you look at the numbers.

Since the news broke last week, the company has been struggling to identify the scope of the problem and how it occurred.

Benesse says that a part-time employee of a subcontractor with access to its database copied the names and addresses of at least 7.6 million customers, including info on children.

I guess they figured out how it occurred...

@Blue, you are SO right with that. Word.

Sucked in Benesse So many jobs are outsource now. It not fair that people have to live contract to contract for you to make an extra buck. I reckon I would have don't the same thing. I yes Benesse brought out my company and not long after that my department was close down. That after they took away holidays

Putting my children's data out there, becuase of your idiotic security??? Apology. Compensation. NOW

Thanks to Mr Snowden, we all know that it's not lonely crackers that are dangerous, but those insiders who have legitimate access to the database. The perp says he didn't know he had Benesse's data, and the buyer, Justsystems, says they didn't know they were buying Benesse's data. And Benesse's says it didn't know that its subcontractor was outsourcing their jobs to a third company. I am outrageous.

Thanks, Shimajiro!

Call a security expert, they generally don't have a cell phone, or an e-mail. Maybe that's what makes them experts, they know it's dangerous.

FAIL...I want to end our subscription!

"I'm curious to know if this hack is a result of the administration still using XP on the networks."

I shouldn't think so. If Benesse's explanation is correct, it's a straightforward theft of data by someone who had legitimate access.

Considering the sheer volume of spam emails that seem to only target cell phone addresses here, I'd say this has been common practice for quite literally decades, no?

The problems of outsourcing. I wonder when people will learn because these and related problems are so prevalent with out sourced work.

"Police, who are investigating the leak as a case of data theft, said a systems engineer at one of the firms outsourced by Synform has admitted copying the data but claimed he had no idea it was Benesse data he was giving away."

So, who's did he think he was giving away? It would be a crime either way, no?

Wow! Berlitz is in deep doo doo! I'm curious to know if this hack is a result of the administration still using XP on the networks. There are many other major corporations still using XP, including the J-Gov and city hall offices.

At least it's one idiot and not a chinese hacker to where there would be no chance of getting the data back.

JustSystems asked no questions to where the data came from and then wants to delete it instantly? I smell a rat!

Benesse = Berlitz, by the way

I'm glad this is getting lots of news coverage. I'd love to see these "meibo" companies that sell peoples names and address put under the spotlight and investigated with great scrutiny. There is no way they can pretend that the files they are buying are not stolen. I'd like to see some prosecutions.